Swimming race



' R. lsjATo AND c, MATSUI.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l Patented July 25, 1922.

Aya/"ZU, i

ATTORNEY WITNESS:

R. SvATO AND C. VIATSUI.

SWIMMING RACE.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.3,1921.

1,424,038. h Patented July 25, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INM

TOR

' 94A/ r n'rroRNEY WITNESS:

RYUJI STO AND CHIYOSABURO hIATSUI, OF YORK, N. Y.

SWIMMING RACE.

iaaaeas.

Specification of Letters Yatent.- Ptgntgd July 25, 1922 yApplicationliled .Tanna-ry 3, 1921. Serial No. 434,664.

swimming device or game for use at amusement parks and like places. l

One of the objects is to kprovide a series of figures which are separately operable by manipulative means and provided with' mechanism for giving an appearance @of swimming to the figures as they are drawn through a tank of water.

Another object is to provide a device of this nature with independently operated means for intercepting the movement of the figures thereby offering hazards or obstructions.

Another object is to provide improved propelling means for the figures.

With these and other objects in view, which will be more apparent as the 'specification proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel construction and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter 'fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which .Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved swimming race.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken transversely of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the swimming ligure, showing one of its postures in full line, and its other posture in dotted line.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts in all views.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 represents the tank which may be of any suitable material and may be made either of collapsible material or of rigid material as desired.

In the drawings only one swimmer and the controlling devices therefor are shown, it being understood that there are a plurality of such mounted in the tank and that all are exactly alike so that the description of the one applies to all.

Mounted on the bottom of the tank 10 is a pair of rails 11 which are preferably channel bars'placed facing each other. Secured `to one end of the tank and simulating a spring. board, is a bracket`12 having a U- shaped aperture 13 in its free end. A movable platform 14 is supported upon wheels 15 riding in the channels vof rails 11, said platform carryin'ga block 16 which normally stands in the aperture 125. The block 16 is cut away at 17` so as to provide an inclined surface 18upon which the manikin, hereinafter described, rests when in swimming posture. f

manikin orgure 19 is provided with a downward extension of its feet which are pivoted in block 1G` as .at .20. The arms 21 v`of this manikin are mounted on the endsof a sha-ft 22 passing through the shoulders of the finfure and having secured to it a pulley 23. iln idler pulley 24 is also mounted in the figure 19 and a cord or wire 25 is secured to the tank at 2G and passes through an aperture 27 in surface 18, over idler 24 vv.then about pulley 23, kthrough an aperture 28 and out through the side of tank 10 at 29 to the operating mechanism, laterdescribed. It will, therefore, be .seen rthat when line 25 is drawn out through aperture 29, the ligure will bemoved down onto surface 18 andthe platform 14 will be drawn across the tank.

A pulley r30 is mounted in the manikin and overthis passes a return cord 3.4 or

wire the ends of which passtlrrough apertures l31 and 321, respectively; andare attached to the tank'lO and a spring rollerBS,

respectively. When permitted to do so, the roller 3 vill draw in line 34 therebycausing Figure 19 to rise to a standing posture, and the platform 14 to return to the spring board 12.

The line 25 after passing through the aperture 29 passes over a pulley 35 mounted on a sprino 86, and thence over a pulley 47 and to a Crum 38. This drum is loosely mounted on an upright rod 39 having at its upper end a hand wheel or manipulative member 40. Secured to shaft 39 is a sleeve 40n carrying outstanding pins 41, and having a collar 42 above a control board 43. Pins 41 are adapted to coact with pins 44 on drum 38 when the sleeve is in lowered position. Board 43 is supported by springs n by springs 50. A lever 5l is attached to one of the boards 46 and when moved counterclockwise depresses all of the boards 46 and thereby the board 43 so that sleeve 40 is lowered until pins 4l and 44 are in clutch. A catch 52 holds the parts in ythis position until one of the gures completes its traverse ot the tank at which time a suitable signal 53 may be operated and the catch 52 released by any suitable automatic means such as that shown in our copending` application Serial No. 437,445, liled Jan. 15th, 1921.

Hazards or obstructions 54 in the form of sharks or other fanciful figures are provided in the path or" the swimmer and are mounted on hinged supports 55 provided with springs 56 and lines 57 which are connected to cranks on a shaft 58 which may be either motor or hand driven. As shaft 58 is rotated the sharks are raised and lowered in front of the swimmer, spring 36 taking care ot' any undue tension on line 25 due to the obstructing` of the movement of the swimmer 19. The skill and cunning-ot the operator .is here called into play in not blocking movement of his manikin by trying to force it against the obstruction and in quickly passing over the obstruction as it is lowered.

`While we have described what is deemed to be the most desirable embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of our invention, and we therefore do not limit ourselves to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole ot' our invention limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is zl. A device of the class described, comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, and means operable to draw said manikin along said track and to cause said manikin to more from erect to swimming posture and simulate swimming.

2. A device ot the class described, comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, and means operable to draw said manikin alongsaid track and to move said manikin from erect to swimming posture.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, manipulative means to draw said manikin along said track from normal position and to move said manikin from standing to swimming posture, and automatic means to return said manikin to normal position.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, means tor moving said manikin along said track, hazards positively moved into the path ot said manikin and resilient means for retracting said hazards.

5. A device of the class described, comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, means for movingsaid manikin along said track, hazards, means for positively moving said hazards in one direction independent ot the moving means for said manikin, and resilient means for retracting said hazards.

6. A device of the class described comprising a tank, a track mounted in said tank, a manikin mounted on said track, means tor moving said manikin along said track, hazards movable into and out of the path of movement of said manikin, and means for so moving said hazards.

In testimony whereof we have atliXed our signatures.

RYUJI SATO. CHIYOSABURO MATSUI. 

